


An Ever Fix'd Mark

by AAfanbug (TheEyeofTheOncomingStorm)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Accidental Ladybug Reveal, Again, Akumatized Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Angst is later though, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Marinette gets akumatized, it's all chloe's fault
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-10-24
Packaged: 2019-06-07 03:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,274
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15209417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheEyeofTheOncomingStorm/pseuds/AAfanbug
Summary: "Love is not loveWhich alters when it alteration finds,Or bends with the remover to remove:O no; it is an ever-fixed mark,That looks on tempests, and is never shaken"A storm is brewing on the horizon for Ladybug and Chat Noir, one that they must face separately. After, however, any secrets they may have from each other may be a thing of the past.





	1. Another Day

The sun began to rise high above the city of Paris as Ladybug and Chat Noir took a breather on a rooftop after an early morning akuma attack.

"Is it just me, or are these akuma getting harder to beat?" Chat asked once he'd got his breath back.

Ladybug shook her head. "It’s not just you. There's definitely something going on.

"Think Hawkmoth's planning something?"

She nodded slowly. “It’d probably be safer to assume that than not. The akumas are starting to form at different times than usual too. That could mean something. Or nothing." She added quickly.

“Like you said, it’s probably safer to assume it is something.” Chat pointed out. “What do you think it means?”

"I don't know." Ladybug chewed her lip nervously. "Maybe his schedule changed in his civilian life, and so he has to change his routine as Hawkmoth too?"

"Hawkmoth as a civilian." Chat repeated. "I've never really given it any thought. Do you think that it's someone we know?"

Ladybug thought back to Adrien and his father's book. "There's a chance. But probably not."

"Hey, what are the odds that we know each other in real life, m'lady?"

She shot him a smile. "I'd say that's not very likely, Chaton. Not with your luck."

Chat grinned back at her. "You forget, bugaboo. Your good luck cancels out my bad luck, so the chances are more like fifty-fifty."

She giggled. "Well, with _my_ luck, you're probably right."

In the distance, a school bell rang. She gasped, and shot to her feet, starting to run mid-crouch. "Oh, no! I'm late!"

Chat Noir followed her for a while, as he needed to go in the same general direction that she was headed. As they ran, he talked. “Hey, what do you think would happen if we found out our true identities on accident?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean like if we looked across the room at each other and it just clicked.” Chat explained. “Or one of us slips and says something only our other selves would know. Would we get in trouble from Master Fu? Or someone else maybe? I mean, what would really happen if we found out our secret identities? Would our miraculouses just, like, evaporate or something?”

Ladybug slowed to a halt as she pondered the question. “I- I don’t know. What made you think of that?”

Chat stopped next to her for a moment looking slightly embarrassed. He wasn’t sure if Ladybug would take him seriously or not. He almost didn’t take it seriously himself, but this feeling had been building for weeks now. But when Plagg said he felt it too, he knew it wasn’t just a feeling. There was something to it.

“I just… I just get this feeling that something bad is going to happen, and whatever it is… I think that it’s going to happen to us.” He finally managed.

“And you think it has something to do with our identities?” Ladybug clarified.

“I don’t know, maybe.” He shrugged. “When I start thinking about our identities, and keeping secrets and Hawkmoth, I get this- you know that feeling when you’re tipping your chair back, and then all of a sudden it tips too far back and your stomach feels like it’s decided to take up gymnastics? That’s what it feels like, just a little bit.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Only now, it’s all the time. And it’s been getting worse. I don’t know what it means. And I don’t know what to do about it.”

Her brow creased with concern as she thought. She didn't know what to make of any more than he did. “Have you tried talking to Master Fu? He might know what’s going on.”

Chat’s face immediately brightened. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before! Excellent suggestion.”

The school bells rang once more.

“Crap.” Ladybug muttered. “I’m really going to be late.”

"Well then." He bowed. "Until I see you next, m’lady."

Despite her lateness, Ladybug returned his bow with an elegant curtsy. "Not if I **spot** you first, Chaton."

Chat shouted after her brightly as he watched her swing away. "A pun from my Ladybug! Oh what a privilege!"

Ladybug's distant laughter filled the streets as she vanished from sight, and Chat continued on his way home. He had just enough time to get home and grab his bag and some camembert for Plagg before his driver took him to school. During the short drive, Adrien couldn't help but smile, garnering several confused looked from his bodyguard. Adrien ignored him and the now constant feelings of dread that had embedded themselves in the back of his mind. Because he wasn't going to let anything spoil his good mood.

Today was going to be a good day.

He could feel it.


	2. Girl's got class. Aaand she's late.

Marinette's plan to slip into the classroom quietly was spoiled by Adrien's own rush to get to class. He ran around the corner as Marinette stopped to get her school books out of her bag, and they crashed into each other, their open bags littering the hallway with books, pens, pencils, and notes.

"S-sorry, Adrien! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Marinette started gathered up their school things. "Sorry. It's my fault."

"No, it's my fault." He helped her pick their stuff up. "You weren't the one running in the halls."

"No, but I made it worse." Marinette sighed. "I'm just glad that my clumsiness isn't contagious. I'd spread it to the whole class."

Adrien pretended to look aghast. "Maybe it is! Maybe that's why I crashed into you! It must have spread. Quick, we have to tell the teachers. Quarantine the school! it's too late for me. I already feel it taking over my body! Tell Ladybug that I love her." Adrien slumped comically to the floor.

Marinette's clumsiness wasn't the only thing contagious, so was Adrien's good humor. Marinette laughed at his antics. Adrien sat up, smiling at his friend.

"Just remember, you don't have a monopoly on being clumsy." He said, trying to cheer her up. "We all have klutz moments. At least most of yours don't happen with half a dozen cameras pointed at you."

"No, but being photographed in my pajamas running around Paris certainly counts." Marinette offered her hand to help him up, and he accepted.

"Sorry I dragged you into that." Adrien apologized again. "I really didn't mean for you to get caught in the middle of everything."

"I told you it was fine." Marinette rushed to assure him. "I mean, I could do without the running around in my pajamas and my hair wrapped in a towel part, but the rest of it was... kinda fun. Not at the moment, of course, but looking back it was really kinda fun."

Adrien smiled at her. "Yeah, it was. I guess the next time I need someone to dash through Paris with to get away from crazed fans, I'll know who to call." He narrowed his eyes at her playfully. "As long as you're okay with people insinuating that you're my girlfriend again."

He smirked as Marinette blushed deeply and stammered a reply. "Uh-of course! I don't- I mean, I wouldn't mind. Letting people think that, I mean. Not that we'd actually... Unless you wanted to- or not! I'm totally, one hundred percent fine with either going out or not going with you. Not _going out_! I meant, going out, running away with you- from you! No! Not you, from people,  with you. Augh! How much longer are you going to let me suffer?!"

Adrien grinned. "I just wanted to see how long you would ramble on."

"I could literally stumble on like that forever." Marinette said, her cheek still red and warm from embarrassment. "My klutz-abilities have no bounds."

"I think it's cute."

Marinette choked. Had she just heard him right?

"I- cute?" Marinette squeaked.

"And late." The pair jumped as Miss Bustier spoke standing in the open door. They looked up and saw their teacher standing there, and the entire class craning their necks to see what was going on. The pair stood up, apologizing as they made their way to their seats. Adrien now had a red face to match Marinette's.

"Sorry, Miss Bustier."

"We're really sorry."

Miss Bustier smiled at them warmly. "Just be careful to watch the time. It's nice to see my students getting along but I'd rather you save your conversations for outside of class time."

"Yes, Miss."

 

* * *

 

Partway through the lesson, Alya leaned over to talk to Marinette. “So, what were you and the golden boy up to?”

“We weren’t up to anything, Alya.” Marinette whispered back. “We just both happened to be late.”

“Uh-huh.” Alya nodded emphatically. "And this has nothing to do with your conversation in the hallway?"

Marinette blushed lighten slightly as the rest of her face paled. "How much did you hear?"

"Adrien wanted to see how long you'd ramble on about him before you'd stop and he said it was cute."

Marinette’s blush returned in full force.

"Yeah, that's what I thought."

Alya’s smug tone irked her a little. Marinette glared at her friend. “Don’t you think if something was going on between us, I’d be the first person to know?”

Alya smirked. “There is definitely something going on between you two.”

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Marinette insisted.

"You think I haven't noticed anything? That I'm blind?" Alya said. "You've got a semi-permanent blush going on right now, girl. _And_ I know that ever since Adrien found out about your little crush, he's been paying _you_ extra attention."

"It's not like that at all, Alya." Marinette said again. "It's just... He's only..."

"He's... What?" Alya prompted her.

"He's not... We're not anything. He likes to tease. That's all. We're just friends."

"You? Saying you're "just friends" with Adrien?" Alya scoffed. "What kind of backwards world did I wake up in?"

"Hopefully one where you stop asking prodding questions about Adrien during class." Marinette whispered back.

Alya was silent for the next few minutes and Marinette relaxed. Until Alya got Marinette's attention again and nodded subtly in Adrien’s direction and she chanced a look. Adrien instantly turned back to the blackboard. Marinette blushed a little and turned back to her friend.

“Nothing is going on.” Marinette said again quietly.

“Yet.”

Marinette knew that tone. “What are you planning?”

"Nothing." Alya smirked. “Yet.”

 

* * *

 

 

After school, Adrien found Alya, Marinette and Nino.

“There you are." He said. "I was going to ask you guys if were planning to go to Chloe’s party this weekend.”

Alya answered enthusiastically. "Yup. Nino already asked me to be his date to this thing."

"Date?" Marinette asked.

Nino nodded. "Apparently, Chloe decided to go theme this time. American prom. It's tradition that you ask a date to go with you, and kids apparently come up with all kinds of crazy romantic ways to ask their boyfriend or girlfriend to prom."

"Which he found out only after asking me, so I feel a little cheated." Alya pretended to pout.

"Do you have to go with a date?" Adrien asked.

"Nah, some people like to buck tradition and go alone, or with a group of friends."

"If you need a date, Adrien, I know someone who hasn't been asked yet." Alya said mischievously.

"Oh? Who?"

Marinette could tell where she was going with this. "Wait, no, Alya-"

Her friend answered before she could be stopped. "Marinette."

"Marinette?" Adrien turned to her. "Did you want to go with a date or by yourself?"

“Oh! Well, I was thinking about it, but I don’t..." Marinette jumped at Alya’s interruption.

"While I think she would still have fun going by herself, I think she wants to go with someone. She just doesn't know who to ask."

"Actually, traditionally it's the guy that does the asking." Nino said, looking at his phone. He jumped when Alya elbowed him. Adrien and Marinette seemed to ignore them both.

"Who were you thinking of asking? I hope I made the cut." He teased.

"I, uh- well... I wasn't even sure if I was going to go." Marinette admitted. "I mean I can, but I didn't know you had to bring a date. I haven't even thought about it and no one's asked me and I don't know what to wear-"

"Do you want to go to the party with me?" Adrien asked.

Marinette flustered. "I- Yes. What?"

"Do you want to go to Chloe's party with me?" Adrien asked again. "I kinda don't know who else to ask either. I mean, I know that there'd be plenty of people who'd want to go with me, but I'd rather go with someone I know from my normal life. Which pretty much means the people in this classroom. And of all the people in the class, I know the three of you the best."

“You’re... thank you.” Marinette murmured, looking down at the floor.

"Was that a yes?" Adrien asked.

"Uh, yeah! I mean. Yes."

Adrien's face lit up with a smile, and Marinette's heart started beating faster.

“Hey, you all want to drive over to the prom together? The four of us?” Nino said, completely oblivious of what was happening between his two friends. Alya glared at him. 

“Sure.” Adrien said. “We can use the car. I'm sure my dad won't mind. It might be a tight fit but we can all squeeze in.”

Marinette brain froze, and her face started burning up just thinking about being squished in a car next to her crush.

Alya answered for the both of them. “Sure! I’m gonna get ready at Marinette’s so you can just pick us up at the bakery, okay?”

“Okay.” Adrien nodded, then looked at Marinette and winked at her. “Save me a dance?”

Marinette stayed frozen, until Alya nudged her arm. She stood bolt upright and squeaked out, “Okay!”

Adrien and Nino left, leaving Alya and Marinette at the lockers.

"I might really need you to catch me this time, Alya." Marinette muttered.

Her friend chuckled, and wrapped an arm around Marinette. "I got your back, girl. You wanna hang out after school and figure out what we should wear?"

"Yeah. I mean, no." Marinette said. "I mean, I want to, but I have an errand to run after school."

"Can I tag along?"

Marinette smiled at her friend. "Not this time, Alya."

"Okay." Alya said. "I'll see you after that I guess."

After Alya had left, Tikki popped out of Marinette's bag. "What errand did you have run after school, Marinette?"

"I'm going to go see Master Fu." Marinette closed her locker. "I need to ask him some questions about Chat's new ability. Has this ever happened before?"

"I don't know." Tikki admitted. "If it has, I don't think we ever attributed it to the miraculous. You humans are so attuned to your environment that your gut instincts tell you when somethings wrong, with or without a miraculous. It's your own special superpower!"

"Then the fact that Chat feels this so unnaturally strongly is really concerning." Marinette concluded.

"Master Fu should know what to do." Tikki said confidently.

 

* * *

 

Marinette knocked on the door of the chinese shop. “Master Fu?”

“Come in, Ladybug.”

Marinette opened the door. The guardian was already pouring her a cup of tea as she sat across from him at the little table, and Tikki flew over to join Wayzz on the record player.

“Marinette. How can I help you?”

"I, Well... just how important is it for Chat Noir and I to keep our identities a secret?"

Wayzz answered. "It is imperative! With Hawkmoth in possession of the butterfly miraculous, we can take no chances."

"If I may ask?" Master Fu said. "What brought this up?"

Tikki and Wayzz fell into their own conversation as Marinette explained her and Chat Noir's conversation from that morning. Master Fu chuckled a little at Chat's last reveal scenario.

"Firstly, no, you would not be in trouble, and your miraculouses would not simply disappear." He assured her. "As for the rest, well... that is very concerning. How long did he say he had felt like this?"

"He said a while. And that it's starting to get worse. What does it mean? Has this happened before, to other Chat Noirs?"

"I do not know. Wayzz might. Wayzz?"

The turtle kwami looked over at them. "Yes master?"

Master Fu repeated the question, and Wayzz answered. "As a matter of fact, yes. It is not common, however. It is actually a sign that the miraculous and it's holder are very well matched. The holder of the Chat Noir miraculous always develops heightened senses, both in and out of the transformation. Part of this is the ability to sense when something very important or dangerous is going to happen. Especially when it involves a miraculous. Obviously, it is more pronounced when he is transformed, but the longer he holds the miraculous, the stronger he will feel the effects as his civilian self. Plagg should begin to feel them as well.”

"Chat said he already has." Marinette said. “So something big _is_ going to happen.”

"It is very likely, yes." Wayzz said.

"Can we do anything to prevent it?" Tikki asked.

Master Fu shook his head slowly. "Not until we know what it is that will happen."

"But what does it mean for us?" Marinette asked again. "Is he right? Is something going to happen to us? _Should_ we know each other's identities? What if we wait too long to reveal our identities and Hawkmoth finds out too? Is whatever is going to happen inevitable? And if we did know what was going to happen, what would we do about it? Is it like those sci-fi time travel shows where it's inevitable, and any steps you take to avoid a certain future actually carries you closer to it?"

"I... am unsure." Master Fu closed his eyes and sighed. “I’m afraid that you’re paying for my own fear of making the same mistakes.”

“What do you mean?” Marinette asked.

“When I directed Tikki and Plagg to help you keep your identities a secret, I did it as a precaution. You and Chat Noir, you don’t have the training, or the guidance that the Guardians and past Miraculous wielders did. You accepted the challenges blindly. Thankfully, your partnership has blossomed, as has your friendship. I could have picked no better pair to wield the ladybug and cat miraculouses. But things are more different now than they have been in the past, in many ways.”

“How so?”

“In times past, there was a whole community of people who knew the identities of miraculous wielders.”

“You mean the order of the Guardians.”

“Yes, but there were more." Master Fu continued. "Past and and future wielders knew as well. Often, more than one person would be trained to use a single miraculous, in case anything happened to the one that was holding it at the time. Only the miraculouses in the top tier were allowed a single holder, being deemed too powerful to change hands very much. But they never knew the burden of having to hide your identities from the ones you care about. They knew their partner names, their faces. One person, or even two, were never supposed to carry the burden of their identities alone. It is only because of the risk that Hawkmoth poses that I asked this of you.”

“For good reason.” Marinette insisted. “If Hawkmoth ever found out who we were, any of us, he would win.”

“It could make it easier for him to succeed, yes.” Master Fu said. “But I knew that it might also drive a wedge between you and Chat Noir. It has already started to do that, I think.”

“He didn’t like me keeping secrets from him. About you, or the true identity of Rena Rouge.” Marinette looked down at the table. “Our own identities is one thing, but he was really hurt when he realized that I knew her identity and he didn’t.”

“Yet you didn’t ask to tell him Rena's identity. Or yours.”

Marinette remained silent. After a few moments, Master Fu picked up the conversation again.

“I told you once that I made a mistake.” Master Fu leveled his gaze at her. He’d hoped not to have to tell this story again, to leave it in the past. But that was no longer an option. This was something that she needed to hear. “I was among a handful of people who were to be specially trained to guard the dormant miraculouses, and to eventually choose new holders for them. Through my actions, a miraculous ended up in the hands of someone who was undeserving. The miraculous of the rooster.”

“That doesn’t sound so dangerous.” She commented.

“Neither does a ladybug, or a butterfly.” Wayzz joined in. “Your powers aren’t determined by the kind of creature that your miraculous is based on, but rather what that creature is associated with."

"Ladybugs are a symbol of good luck, life, and creativity." Tikki said. "Black cats, bad luck, destruction, and resilience."

Wayzz continued. "Butterflies, change and adaptation. Turtles, such as myself, longevity, wisdom, and sanctuary.”

“What do roosters symbolize?” Marinette asked.

“Justice, obedience, and loyalty.” Master Fu shook his head. “But the young man that chose the rooster miraculous had greed and pride in his heart. He felt he was above those the rules of the other Guardians, more deserving of power and privilege than the other Miraculous holders. He refused to listen to reason, and used his powers to try and take other other miraculouses. And he had convinced a few of the other miraculous wielders to help him.”

“But he didn’t succeed, did he?” Marinette asked. “I mean, you have them. Most of them.”

“He actually did succeed for a time, at a great cost.” Wayzz explained sadly. “After laying waste to the temple, he turned on his accomplices. It’s not known whether they tried to stop him or if he was simply greedy and jealous, but he murdered them, and took their miraculouses. That is how the butterfly and peacock miraculouses became lost.”

Master Fu continued. “Some years later, when the young man had been caught, he told the few remaining guardians that he’d hidden the miraculouses somewhere only he could find them. The book that you brought to me, I had previously hoped that it had been destroyed. Then at least it would never fall into the hands of someone like Hawkmoth.”

"It hasn't, and now we can use it to fight akumas." Marinette said. "Things seemed to have worked out for the best.

Fu said nothing more, and changed the subject. "It is not an easy task, being a superhero. And it's made only more difficult when you can't talk to someone about what you're going through. Chat, on several occasions since he met me, has told me that he finds it difficult to confide in anyone about anything he's going through, whether as a civilian or a superhero, lest he give himself away."

"Really? I had no idea, he never told- Oh." Marinette felt waves of guilt wash over her as she remembered the dozen or so little ways he had tried to tell her over the years and she dismissed them. Master Fu continued.

"If you end up decided to reveal your identities, take the opportunity to confide in on another." Master Fu said. "You both share something that no one else does. Your partnership is more than just that. It is a symbol of balance and harmony. Any imbalance, or discord between you will felt by others, and influence the way you work together. And regardless of your decision, be careful. We don't know what is going to happen, or when."

Marinette nodded, and rose to leave.

"One more thing." Master Fu rose as well. "You asked how important it was to keep your identities a secret. But I feel that wasn't you're actually question."

Marinette hesitated. "I just- It would make finding out who Hawkmoth is a lot easier if we knew our true identities. Then we wouldn't only have to work as Ladybug and Chat Noir. We could work better and more secretly if we could work as ourselves. And, with what you just told me about Chat... I think we need this. For both our sakes."

"Besides which, you're curious." Master Fu said, and chuckled as Marinette's face fell. "I know that you have an inquisitive mind, and it was only going to be so long until you asked or discovered Chat's true identity."

"But I suppose I'll still have to wait, huh?"

"Talk to your partner." Master Fu said again. "Tell him all the things I told you, and then the both of you need to make this decision. It is not one to be taken lightly."

"Of course, master."

A few minutes later, Marinette and Tikki left the shop with a heavy minds and hearts. Neither of them spoke for the majority of the trip home.

Finally, Marinette spoke. "Think Chat Noir will be up for an early patrol tonight, Tikki?"

"Probably, but Alya's waiting for you at your house to talk about the party." Tikki reminded her.

"Right." Marinette sighed dreamily. "Can you believe it, Tikki? Adrien asked me to be his date!"

Tikki smiled indulgently. "Yes, I know. I was there, remember?"

The rest of the afternoon was taken up by Alya and Marinette pored over over fabrics and dress patterns, and Tikki listening happily as Marinette obsessed unknowingly about her date with partner's secret identity.


End file.
